Ratings: This Is Us Ticks Up in New Time Slot, Builds on Voice Lead-In

Don’t shed any tears for This Is Us. In its new 9/8c time slot, NBC’s rookie weeper saw its ratings increase, with Tuesday’s episode drawing 9.8 million viewers and a 2.8 18-49 rating. That’s up from the 8.8 million/2.6 rating it pulled in with its last original episode two weeks ago (when it aired at 10/9c) and even with the show’s strong premiere performance on Sept. 20.

Even more impressive, This Is Us — which has already been picked up for a full season — built on The Voice among the 18-49 set (the durable music competition notched a 2.5). NBC notes that it’s the first time in history a scripted series outperformed its Voice lead-in.

NBC’s momentum continued into the 10/9c hour, with Chicago Fire‘s Season 5 premiere attracting 7.5 million viewers and a 1.8 rating — up from its Season 4 finale performance (7.9 mil/1.7) in the demo.

ABC’s freshman sitcom American Housewife got off to a solid start, virtually tying it’s Middle lead-in among viewers (both pulling in roughly 6.5 million) and beating it in the demo (growing to 1.8 from The Middle‘s 1.7). TVLine readers gave the Housewife premiere an average C+ grade. At 9 pm, Fresh Off the Boat (5 million/1.5) returned up in the demo from its May finale (1.2), while The Real O’Neals (3,8 mil/1.2) also ticked up (from a 1.1). Agents of Shield (2.8 mil/0.9) was essentially flat at 10/9c.

Over at The CW, The Flash fell from 1.3 to a 1.0. At 9/8c, rookie dramedy No Tomorrow sank from a 0.5 to 0.3.

Fox’s much-hyped Brooklyn Nine-Nine/New Girl crossover didn’t lift either show. In fact, they both shed a tenth in the demo (0.9 from 1.0).